Can someone explain this?

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TasteofEnvy
TasteofEnvy Posts: 123 Member
in Motivation and Support
Okay SO ... I went to the gym today and did my weekly weight check.... I seemed to have gained five pounds since last week...
Is that possible? Should I believe that?
I eat pretty healthy, but I'll admit that I was at a friend's birthday party and had two scoops of chocolate ice cream.... but five pounds? I go to the gym almost everyday, and have a job where I'm constantly moving around.... I'm also on my period as of yesterday... so.... idk... is it possible the five pounds aren't really fat?
Idk... I just find it hard to believe and it really upsets me.

Replies

  • paulawatkins1974
    paulawatkins1974 Posts: 720 Member
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    It's not fat. It's most likely water weight
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
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    You are a woman. Female weight fluctuates naturally from hormones. There is no way you gained 5 pounds of fat in just a week. Impossible, if you are eating as well as you say you are. Stay calm, it will level out.
  • bethaneyjayne
    bethaneyjayne Posts: 7
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    I would assume if your on your period that it's water weight, check again in a few days and hopefully your weight will be back to normal. I normally hold 2-3 kilos water around that time, not very nice, but it passes.
  • TasteofEnvy
    TasteofEnvy Posts: 123 Member
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    Oh thanks! I was wondering like... how much water weight is normal to gain. Thank you!
  • GGDaddy
    GGDaddy Posts: 289 Member
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    Perfectly normal, happens all the time. Have you had a lot of sodium lately? I usually gain 5 pounds for a couple-few days after eating pizza. The sodium causes your body to retain water.

    Edited to add: you went to the gym to weigh. Did you eat/drink first? That's an added variable. Best to weigh yourself when first waking up after using the washroom for consistency.
  • TasteofEnvy
    TasteofEnvy Posts: 123 Member
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    Perfectly normal, happens all the time. Have you had a lot of sodium lately? I usually gain 5 pounds for a couple-few days after eating pizza. The sodium causes your body to retain water.
    Well i did have pasta the other night... I try to stay away from pizza.
  • TasteofEnvy
    TasteofEnvy Posts: 123 Member
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    Edited to add: you went to the gym to weigh. Did you eat/drink first? That's an added variable. Best to weigh yourself when first waking up after using the washroom for consistency.
    No i never eat or drink before the gym. I also go to the bathroom before i weight myself.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    Natural body weight fluctuations can be 3-5 Lbs day to day...this is due to water retention, but also various levels of waste in your system. i.e. if you have more waste in your system than you did the last time you weighed in you are going to weigh more.

    Also, did you weigh in at the same time and under the same set of circumstances? Did you eat food and drink anything during the day prior to weigh in?...cuz guess what happens if you eat 1/2 Lb of food...you're going to weigh roughly a 1/2 Lb more than you did before eating the food.

    Further, did you weigh in with clothes? If so were they the same clothes as last time?

    When weighing in it is important to be consistent in RE to time of day and circumstances...you wouldn't want to compare an early morning weigh in naked after your bowels have been emptied and you haven't had anything to eat or drink to a weigh in later in the day where you have more waste in your system and have consumed food and beverage that will inevitably add weight. On top of all of that there are natural fluctuations in water and water retention/release.

    Ultimately you can't get overly wrapped up in the minutia of weigh in A vs B...you have to track the general trend over a period of time. Weight loss isn't a linear function...you're going to have weeks with bigger losses and weeks with smaller losses and weeks with no losses and weeks with modest gains (due to the above stuff)...it's normal...you have to look at the trend over weeks and months, not just weigh in to weigh in.
  • QueenGolden1
    QueenGolden1 Posts: 5 Member
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    Don't weight yourself or measure yourself couple of days before, during, or right after, I'd suggest only weighing yourself on the ovulation side of your cycle not the menstruating side.
  • AglaeaC
    AglaeaC Posts: 1,974 Member
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    If I were you, I'd track my weight each day for two to three months. You will see natural fluctuations and a pattern according to your hormonal cycle, like others have said. If you don't want daily weigh-ins thereafter, at least you are aware of how much you might deviate and still be able to consider it normal for you.
  • TasteofEnvy
    TasteofEnvy Posts: 123 Member
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    Natural body weight fluctuations can be 3-5 Lbs day to day...this is due to water retention, but also various levels of waste in your system. i.e. if you have more waste in your system than you did the last time you weighed in you are going to weigh more.

    Also, did you weigh in at the same time and under the same set of circumstances? Did you eat food and drink anything during the day prior to weigh in?...cuz guess what happens if you eat 1/2 Lb of food...you're going to weigh roughly a 1/2 Lb more than you did before eating the food.

    Further, did you weigh in with clothes? If so were they the same clothes as last time?

    When weighing in it is important to be consistent in RE to time of day and circumstances...you wouldn't want to compare an early morning weigh in naked after your bowels have been emptied and you haven't had anything to eat or drink to a weigh in later in the day where you have more waste in your system and have consumed food and beverage that will inevitably add weight. On top of all of that there are natural fluctuations in water and water retention/release.

    Ultimately you can't get overly wrapped up in the minutia of weigh in A vs B...you have to track the general trend over a period of time. Weight loss isn't a linear function...you're going to have weeks with bigger losses and weeks with smaller losses and weeks with no losses and weeks with modest gains (due to the above stuff)...it's normal...you have to look at the trend over weeks and months, not just weigh in to weigh in.
    I never eat or drink before weighing myself. I always weight myself in the morning. I take off 1/2 a pound for clothes (I usually weight myself in light gym clothes). I don't -always- have bowel movements before i weigh myself and I'm (obviously) not always on my period when I weigh myself.
  • TasteofEnvy
    TasteofEnvy Posts: 123 Member
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    If I were you, I'd track my weight each day for two to three months. You will see natural fluctuations and a pattern according to your hormonal cycle, like others have said. If you don't want daily weigh-ins thereafter, at least you are aware of how much you might deviate and still be able to consider it normal for you.
    Makes sense.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Oh thanks! I was wondering like... how much water weight is normal to gain. Thank you!
    The 5LB blip could easily be 3+ for period, 1 for a salty meal the day before or something similar. Try not to freak, just start noticing trends.
  • manicautumn
    manicautumn Posts: 224 Member
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    Could also be that you were dehydrated or something at the time of your last weigh-in or had less waste in your system.

    I weigh daily and I've had days were I woke up 3 pounds lighter than the day before and then the next day it was back up were I expect it to be.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
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    I agree that it's most likely water. Remember, to gain a pound of fat you would have had to eat 3500 calories above maintenance (which is higher than your deficit you usually aim for if you're losing weight). You probably didn't eat enough extra on that one day to undo deficit for all your other days, plus 3500 calories!

    Some women can gain as much as 5 pounds on their period - it varies widely. You may want to track it for a few months to get an idea of what it does to you :wink: Sodium can also contribute to water retention. Another possible contributor: if you've been doing low carb and have eaten more in the last week (the pasta, the party, etc), that can cause some water weight to come back, because carbs usually carry water with them. Again, not fat gain, and I wouldn't worry about it, but it's something to be aware of for the future if that applies to you.

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